Broccoli's Artery Cleaning Effects

Heart Disease is the number 1 killer in America as well as other
parts of the world. Aside from the obvious exercise and physical activity, diet
also greatly affects one's risk for developing heart disease. New research
indicates that broccoli and other green leafy vegetables can provide a natural
defense against heart disease. British researchers recently discovered that
broccoli and other brassicas turn on a protective protein in the arteries that in
effect, prevent the arteries from clogging with fatty plaques, especially in
the most vulnerable parts of the arteries most prone to clogging. While
additional research is in the works, these preliminary findings drive home the
importance of eating plenty of green leafy vegetables on a regular basis.

Aquatic Exercise Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain

Did you know that aquatic-based (water-based) exercise can be very
beneficial for lower back pain? New research indicates in certain cases, it can
actually be more effective than land-based exercise. In a recent study of 65
chronic low back pain patients, individuals were randomly assigned to receive either
aquatic exercise or land-based exercise. Patients performed 5 exercise sessions
per week for 4 weeks – 20 total exercise sessions over 4 weeks. Patients were initially
evaluated a 0 weeks, then re-evaluated at 4 and 12 weeks. Both groups
experienced statistically significant improvements with certain improvements in
lower back disability being superior within the aquatic exercise group.

Chiropractic Care Cost-Effectiveness for Musculoskeletal Disorders

A
new pilot program shows that conservative heath care, including chiropractic,
may reduce overall health care costs in patients with musculoskeletal
disorders, such as back and neck pain. The pilot, conducted by Wellmark Blue
Cross and Blue Shield to measure quality of patient care for its members in
Iowa and South Dakota, also shows promising outcomes for the patients choosing
chiropractic and other conservative care.

"The
cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several
studies. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is pleased that insurance
companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and
other conservative providers can offer to their members," said ACA President
Glenn Manceaux, DC. "Especially during the health care reform debate, it's
important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into
serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of
expensive surgery and hospital-based care," he added.

Wellmark
conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South
Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists
and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal
disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that
89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than
30-percent improvement in 30 days.

The
pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of
chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar
demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that
those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to
have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to
Wellmark.

Chiropractic
is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for
the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal
complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for
certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional
medical care. Recent research includes:

A
study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative
and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical
care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with
chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes.

A
March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective
than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients' first
year of symptoms.

A
study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that
manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal
pain than do a variety of medications.

A recent case study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
reviewed the care and outcome of a 6-year old girl receiving chiropractic care.
The 6-year old girl was pushed into a playground slide, hitting her head and
resulting in acute complaints of her "neck and brain hurting" and hand, foot,
and occasional leg pain. In addition, she had a several-year history of
unexplained fatigue, vomiting, and coughing spells. Upon examination, the
treating chiropractic doctor found she was suffering from noticeable head tilt,
significant loss of the cervical (neck) range of motion as well as tenderness,
muscle spasm and edema along her cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper back)
regions. After her 5th chiropractic treatment, her symptoms had
dissipated and by her 9th treatment, she was able to return to normal activity.
At 19 weeks, her neck and back continued to be asymptomatic and full and normal
motion had returned to her spine.